Asthma Friendly Gardens

Asthma Friendly Gardensarea. If you can find natives that have low allergy
Tom Ogrenrankings, consider using them. Look around your own
Recent studies have shown that babies born toneighborhood, and see for yourself, which kinds of
mothers who were exposed to high levels of pollenplants seem to be flourishing there already. For
in their last trimester of pregnancy have a muchalmost every kind of plant used in landscaping, there
greater chance of developing asthma. One of theis now a no or low pollen version of it, if you know
main keys with asthma prevention is avoidance.what to look for.
When you have asthma the typical garden is not a7.Use a wide variety of plant materials; diversity is
very friendly place at all. There are mold spores togood. Biodiversity always makes sense. The more
contend with and worst of all is the pollen. Typicaldiverse our gardens are the fewer problems we'll
gardens have pollen producing male trees and malehave with insects and molds.
shrubs and other plants that can provoke asthma8.Avoid plants with strong fragrances or odors, as
attacks. Almost anyone with asthma will tell you thatthey can cause asthma. Don't plant jasmines or similar
their asthma can be triggered by a good number ofvines next to entrances or exits and certainly don't
things, but pollen is often number one for causing anuse them underneath bedroom windows.
attack. Garden allergies are common, but they need9.For mulch, use rock or gravel instead of bark to cut
not be. Allergies from gardening could be largely adown on toxic mold spores in the garden. Flat stones
thing of the past... if we're willing to make someor pavers also make good, mold free mulching
simple changes.materials.
In fall of 1999 in Richmond, Virginia the American10.To further eliminate mold spores, encourage wild
Lung Association of Virginia (ALAV) built a newbirds in your garden. Virtually all wild birds eat insects,
Breathe EasyÔ office and headquarters. Theyand insect damage triggers outbreaks of mold. Even
had this entire large building constructed with thethe tiny hummingbirds actually eat a large number of
latest innovations in green construction andinsects. Put up a hummingbird feeder!
sustainable design. No construction materials were11.Keep your plants healthy. This too will cut down on
used that would off gas any harmful or toxicboth pollen and mold. When it is hot and windy, do
chemicals, no materials were used that would triggersome irrigating. Fertilize everything in the garden
asthma or allergies. Every attempt was made to buildspring and fall. If plants are crowding each other too
something that would be pleasant and healthy tomuch, thin them out. If tree branches overhead are
work in. The people who work in this office now willputting your whole yard in deep shade, consider
tell you too, that they all notice what a greathaving the tree thinned to let in more light. Fresh air
improvement it is. Their office is a healthy building.and light are the enemies of molds.
The ALA decided it would make perfect sense to12.If a tree, shrub, vine or any other plant always
landscape their new healthy building (in some stateslooks sickly, looks dirty, or always attracts bugs, then
these are now called Health Houses) with an allergyshovel prune it. Dig it up and get rid of it. Replace it
free landscape. OPALSÔ (the plant/allergy 1-10with something easier to grow. Don't get caught up in
numerical ranking system) was used to select onlyhaving to spray insecticides all the time, as they too
those plant materials that were either very lowcan easily cause asthma and allergies.
pollen, low allergy, or that were totally pollen free,Make your garden a fun, stress free zone. Be sure to
allergy free. In effect they created the first truehave a few comfortable garden chairs to sit in, and a
asthma friendly garden in the US.little table of some sort is always good too. Wind
Health Houses in other states are now also addingchimes, bird feeders, and birdbaths can add greatly to
pollen free landscapes to their green construction,your enjoyment and cost little. A beautiful, pollen
green buildings. A new Health House is about to befree, allergy free, asthma friendly garden can be just
built in Pennsylvania, and the PA Association ofthe place for healthy children, and a great place for
Landscapers and Nurserymen are helping to surroundanyone to relax and enjoy the great outdoors. For
it with an asthma friendly landscape.more advice on low allergen gardening, look up allergy
Schools too are getting into the clean air act, and infree gardening on the Internet, or go to your local
the city of Visalia, California, the Tulare Countylibrary and read some books on this new important
Asthma Coalition recently directed the asthmasubject.
friendly landscaping of a newly built elementaryTom Ogren is the author of five published books,
school.including: Allergy-free Gardening, Safe Sex in the
Twelve keys to building your own asthma friendlyGarden (Ten Speed Press), and What the Experts
garden:May NOT Tell You About: Growing the Perfect Lawn
1.Plant lots of female trees and female shrubs. Not(AOL Time Warner Books). Tom has an MS degree
only will these not shed any pollen, they will also trapin Agriculture-Horticulture, taught landscape gardening
a good deal of pollen that may stay in fromfor twenty years, owned and operated two
somewhere else. Think of these female plants aswholesale-retail nurseries, and in northern Minnesota
nature's air cleaners.was host of the popular Public Radio call-in gardening
2.Use only low pollen or no pollen lawns. There areshow, "Tom Ogren's Wild World of Plants!"
types of lawns now that are pretty well pollen freeTom (Thomas Leo Ogren) has published hundreds of
and these are a big improvement over some of thearticles on health and gardening. His work has
older lawn varieties. In southern states, if you have aappeared in diverse publications such as South
common Bermuda grass lawn, consider replacing itAfrica's Veldt and Field, in Women's Day, Alternative
with a newer, more asthma friendly hybrid BermudaMedicine, the Burpee Seed Catalog, Sunset Magazine,
grass. 'Princess 77' is a new Bermuda grass hybridLandscape Architecture, Der Spiegel, The London
that can be planted from seed. It is next to pollenTimes, The Seattle Times, The Washington Post, and
free, grows very low and tight, and is especially goodeven the Jerusalem Post. He has also made
looking.numerous appearances on HGTV and his work was
3.With OPALSÔ 1 is best, 10 is worst. Use onlythe focus of two made for TV documentaries, one
plants with rankings of 1-5. The more plants in yourby the Canadian Discovery Channel.
gardens that have rankings ranging from 1-3, theTom has been interviewed on National Public Radio's
friendlier your place will be for anyone with allergiesWeekend Edition and his groundbreaking research
or asthma.was featured on The CBS Evening News. He is a
4.Remove any trees or shrubs with rankings overfrequent lecturer for garden clubs, arboretums, civic
OPALSÔ #7. The woody landscape plantsgroups, hospitals, medical groups, Master Gardeners,
with rankings of 8-10 are all sure-fire allergy triggeringand professional associations of landscapers,
plants and you can live without them.landscape designers, writers, nursery people,
5.Replace any removed high pollen, asthma triggeringarborists, and urban foresters. He has become well
plants with their opposite, female trees or femaleknown for his fun, high energy, highly informative,
shrubs. Also good as replacements are perfectunusual and provocative talks. Tom is a member of
flowered plants that are known to be very low pollenthe Professional Landscape Designers Association,
producers. These will all have good (low)and the GWA, the Garden Writers of America. Unlike
OPALSÔ rankings.many well-published authors, he still tries to answer all
6.Use only plants that are well adapted to your ownof his own email.